“Take care of your car in the garage, and the car will take care of you on the road,” Amit Kalantri’s words have a deeper meaning than you might think. Once or twice in your life, you will get the feeling: your car is your best friend. And really, if you think about it, your car won’t get mad at you if you don’t throughout the trash on time. It won’t blame you if you forget to wish a happy birthday to its mother. And it won’t turn away from you at your worst. This all is true of course only if you take good care of it. And we all know how expensive taking good care of our cars can be.
The Leman Law is here to protect you if you purchased a new vehicle. Important fact: all 50 states of the US have passed Lemon Laws since 1993. And here is the catch. The California Lemon Law requires a vehicle manufacturer that is unable to repair a vehicle to conform to the manufacturer’s express warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts. And California Lemon Law will replace or repurchase the vehicle.
If you are currently facing a problem with your vehicle you might have some questions concerning California Lemon Law. Here are some frequently asked questions with their answers.
When does a vehicle qualify under the California Lemon Law?
The law concerns to all new, used or “demo” vehicles that have gone through an authorized dealership repairmen more than four times for the same issue or more than two times for the same concern. The concern has to be serious: likely to cause death or serious bodily harm. Or the vehicle has been at the dealership for repairmen for more than 30 days. This only works, if the repairs or out of service days occur within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles of ownership. Whichever occurs first.
Does the California lemon Law apply to used or leased vehicles?
Good news for you: the Lemon Law covers both used and leased vehicles purchased with manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty. So, if you are currently undergoing a similar situation California Lemon Law is here for you. If you find a defect in your car during the warranty period, it is only then that you can demand a replacement and even a refund.
Does the Lemon Law apply only to passenger cars?
No, it doesn’t. The Lemon law applies to trucks, SUV’s, Vans, Motorcycles, passenger cars and all consumer goods that the manufacturer’s warranty covers. Important point: you have to use the vehicle only for personal, family or household need.
What if the automobile was bought outside of California?
Sadly, the California Lemon Law is only applicable for vehicles purchased in the State of California. But no worries, because there is a way out for you. If you purchased a car outside of the State of California you can qualify for a case under the federal lemon law. The law is known as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Attorney fees? Who has to pay?
Thanks to California Lemon Law, if you win the case, you don’t have to pay. The dealer or manufacturer will have to cover attorney fees.
What does the California Lemon Law entitle you to?
If you funded or leased your automobile you are entitled to receive your down payment, government fees, trade-in equity, license fees and all the monthly payments you made back. You might also be reimbursed for a rental car you used during your warranty repair visits. Here is what happens. The manufacturer pays off the existing loan. You turn back the vehicle to the car dealership. Then you get a Lemon Law refund check.
How long does the process take?
Usually, California Lemon Law can reach a settlement with the manufacturer within 30-90 days. Most of the cases close within 30 days.
What does the California Lemon Law not cover?
Any portion of a motor home designed used or maintained primarily for human habitation the California Lemon Law does not cover. It also does not cover motorcycles that operate or use exclusively off the highways. commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight over 10,000 pounds where the business has more than five motor vehicles registered in the State of California.
As we are not all expert in the field of law, it is natural to have tons of questions. To have a full understanding of what California Lemon Law is read some fascinating facts about it. And be sure that you can trust the Law: it will never fail you.
